


Twenty-Seven Minutes

by Mommadon



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, Fluff, Wingman Alya Césaire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:08:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mommadon/pseuds/Mommadon
Summary: Alya and Nino make it their mission to finally get Marinette and Adrien together, since Nino realizes that Adrien has feelings for Marinette, whether he admits it or not.Prompt by Nomolosk
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 35
Kudos: 223
Collections: Miraculous Fanworks Anniversary 2020





	Twenty-Seven Minutes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nomolosk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomolosk/gifts).



> Happy anniversary to the Miraculous Fanworks Discord server! I love connecting with other writers and artists and fans. One of my favorite authors is Nomolosk, so I'm stoked that I unknowingly nabbed their prompt. I hope you enjoy this (kind of long) one shot!
> 
> If you're interested in joining the server and hanging out with some other Miraculous fans, click this link and tell them Mommadon sent you. :D  
> [Miraculous Fanworks Discord Server Invite](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks)

Alya was a really, really good friend. But, for the life of her, she could _not_ get Marinette to admit her feelings for Adrien to his face. At first, it had been funny. Then, it had gotten tedious. Now, it was downright frustrating—a big black nasty mark on her wingman abilities. Well, that black mark was about to disappear. She was determined. And when Alya was determined, things happened. 

Today was the day; it was going to work. The Ladyblog had just surpassed 100,000 followers, so a party was due anyway. She’d made sure Marinette would be there by assigning her the treats. Adrien was definitely coming, as Alya had struck an informal deal to swap some ad space on the Ladyblog for a special guest appearance. The venue was set, it was _going_ to work. 

So, when the party started and Marinette ducked out fewer than ten minutes in because of a “work emergency,” and the most anyone heard from Adrien was a short text to Nino saying “Sorry, Father says no,” Alya nearly blew her lid. 

“This is so stupid!” she yelled in the hallway away from the other partygoers. Nino was the only one around to hear her tirade. “I set this all up and they’re not even here!”

“It’s ok, babe,” Nino soothed. “They didn’t even know you were trying to set them up.”

Alya folded her arms stubbornly and marched back into the room, ready to shut the whole thing down, when suddenly, the windows flew open and in swung Ladybug and Chat Noir. Everyone gasped in delight and looked at Alya, who was equally surprised. 

“Ladybug? Chat Noir? This is amazing! How did you know?”

Ladybug smiled and gave Alya a quick kiss on the cheek, before responding, “You didn’t think we’d miss such a remarkable milestone of our favorite reporter, did you?”

Alya wished Marinette could be here to see this, but still seized her golden opportunity. She whipped out her phone and started live streaming the unexpected visit from the two superheroes. Since Chat Noir was already filling a plate at the snack table, she asked Ladybug questions first. That morphed into a joke contest, which somehow evolved into an impromptu acrobatics display, and finally a dance off. After nearly two hours, Ladybug and Chat Noir insisted they had to leave, and Alya wrapped up her livestream. It was a huge success with thousands of comments that she would enjoy browsing all night long. It wasn’t until a few minutes after the heroes had departed that Nino wrapped his arm around his girlfriend’s shoulder and reminded her of the thing she was doing in the first place— “Ah, Adrien would have loved that. Did you know the dude actually has some pretty snappy one-liners? You should hear him when he’s on form… you wouldn’t expect it from such a strait-laced kid, but when he opens up, he’s a regular class clown.”

“Adrien!” Alya yelped. “Argh!”

“What is it?” Alya’s outburst had attracted the attention of their friends who had been attending the party. Rose and Juleka were the first to come over to console the clearly distraught Alya.

“It’s nothing,” Alya grumbled. “I’d just really hoped Marinette and Adrien would be here today.”

“Why?” Kim asked nonchalantly as he strolled over. 

Alix joined them, rolling her eyes, “So Alya could hook them up, duh!”

Max and Nathaniel were close behind the others. Nathaniel looked at his feet and muttered, “Why would you want to hook them up?”

To everyone’s surprise, Max answered, “The statistical probability of the two of them pairing off into a romantic relationship is seventy-six percent. It goes up to eighty-four percent if Ladybug and Chat Noir were to launch a romantic relationship as well.”

“Wait,” Nino laughed, “what are you talking about, Ladybug and Chat Noir--?”

“Only that Adrien Agreste has feelings for Ladybug, so if she were to pursue a romantic relationship with Chat Noir, the probability would—”

“No way,” Nino interrupted, “My bro’s got a bigger thing for Marinette. Even if he doesn’t admit it out loud.”

Kim shook his head, “Nino, you’re delusional. Adrien’s crush on Ladybug is visible from outer space.”

Alya’s neck was already hurting from whipping from speaker to speaker, and now her head was spinning. “Wait, Adrien’s in love with _Ladybug?”_

Nino stepped forward and emphatically stated, “No. Definitely not. Not in love. He likes _Marinette._ ”

Rose’s eyes watered and she cooed, “Oh, that’s so sweet!”

“Sweet? Why?” Nathaniel asked.

“Only because Marinette’s been head over heels for Adrien for years, and if he likes her back—” Alix prompted.

“Then they can live happily ever after!” Rose finished with a lilt to her voice.

“Not so fast,” Alya grumbled, “Marinette clams up every time she’s near Adrien.

“And,” Nino added, “Adrien hasn’t even admitted his feelings to himself, let alone others. Max is right, he’s got a sweet spot for Ladybug, always has—I mean, he’s practically built a shrine to her in the back of his closet—”

“Wait, he _has?”_ Kim gasped.

“—But if we could just get Marinette and Adrien alone together for long enough,” Alya finished for her boyfriend, “I’m convinced they’d recognize their true feelings for each other.”

Alix burst out laughing, “Good luck with that, Tigerlily! We’ve only been trying for months.”

Alya shot her a look. Juleka spoke quietly, but everyone listened, “Yeah, those two are impossible.”

“I don’t believe in impossible things,” Kim proclaimed. “Who wants to bet I can get them kissing within a week?”

A wide grin spread across Alix’s face. “I’ll take that bet. Twenty euro?”

“You’re on!”

Juleka and Rose protested immediately, “No! Don’t bet on that, now Alix will try to undermine them!”

“I will _not,_ ” Alix scoffed, “I want Marinette to spill it as much as the best of them. I just don’t think she can. Even if the circumstances are perfect.”

“So,” Nino interjected, “you’d help us make the perfect circumstances?”

“Of course!” Alix grinned. “I wouldn’t want to win a bet without a fair playing field.”

“Well,” Max thought, “according to my calculations, they will need approximately twenty-seven minutes uninterrupted to overcome Marinette’s nervousness and Adrien’s busy schedule.”

Nino thought, “That’s going to be tough, but not impossible. But if his old man or his babysitter can get a hold of him, it’ll never happen.”

Alya thought briefly, “Nino, you think you could knick his phone? Not forever, just for, what was it, Max?”

“Twenty-seven minutes.”

“I dunno—”

“I can,” Kim announced softly, wringing his hands. 

Rose pouted, “But Marinette would never agree to hanging out with Adrien if she knew it was—”

“A costume party,” Juleka muttered and everyone’s jaws dropped. 

“Girl, that’s _perfect_!” Alya whooped. “Of course, she’ll recognize him as soon as she sees him, but if we time it right, we could probably buy a few minutes keeping Marinette none the wiser. That ought to be enough to get them alone together.”

“But where are we going to hold a party like that?” Nino pondered.

“How about the Grand Paris Hotel?”

“Are you kidding me?” Rose scoffed, “Chloe would blow the whole thing!”

“Chloe’s in New York with her mother until Friday,” Max calculated, “Her plane returns at 17:42, which adding in the seventy-four minutes needed to get through customs and the forty-three minutes needed to get back to the hotel—”

“That’s plenty of time!” Kim cheered. 

“So, now we just need both of them at the hotel, on time, in costume, Adrien without his phone, and do _not_ let Marinette know he’s there.” The friends looked at each other skeptically for a second, but then Juleka and Rose linked arms.

Rose declared, “We’ll get Marinette here.”

“And you can bet I’m on Adrien duty,” Kim declared, “assuming Nino will help—”

“You know it, dude.”

“Alright then,” Alya said, gulping, “Operation: one last chance is on. Next Friday, those two are finally going to admit their feelings—”

“Kiss, Kim promised me a kiss!” Alix interjected.

“Ok,” Alya allowed, “kiss. They’re going to kiss or Kim has to pay up.”

Kim patted Alix’s head, “You’d better start saving up.”

Alix laughed, “You’re grossly underestimating the power of Marinette’s short circuiting whenever Adrien is near. But, I look forward to it.” She whispered to Alya, “He doesn’t realize that either I get twenty euro, or my ship sails. I’ll take that bet any day.”

Alya and Alix slapped each other a high-five as the whole group, now brimming with anticipation, jumped into full planning mode.

* * *

Marinette was feeling silly as she looked herself over. “I dunno, Tikki,” she moaned, fiddling with the black ears perched in her hair. 

“Don’t change a thing, Marinette!” Tikki squeaked. There was a knock at the door. Marinette sighed. There was no delaying or declining or anything else she could do. This was it.

She opened the trapdoor to her room and looked down the stairs. Rose had a vice grip on Juleka’s arm and started bouncing excitedly as soon as Marinette came into view. “Marinette! You look amazing!”

Marinette blushed slightly and made her way to the lower level. Rose linked arms with her, and the three girls bid farewell to Marinette’s parents, then headed up the street to the Grand Paris Hotel. “Yeah,” Juleka mumbled, “you look really good, Marinette.”

“Thanks,” she smiled, “You look great too.” Marinette’s friends were wearing contrasting kitty unicorn costumes—Juleka in purple and black, Rose in pink and white. Both were wearing delicate Venetian masks and copious amounts of glitter. 

“We couldn’t have made these costumes without you, of course,” Rose trilled. “They’re based on your original design.” Rose adjusted her mask on her nose, then looked back at Marinette, “Hang on, how did you get your mask to stay on without elastic?”

Marinette smiled, “Just a little prosthetic adhesive. It’s a pain to get off, but worth it.”

“Wow,” Juleka breathed, “That’s smart.” 

Rose had no inhibition; she circled Marinette to inspect her costume. “The tail is so lifelike, and I love the skirt… oh, are those custom boots?”

“Y-yeah,” Marinette grinned, “Anyone can go as Chat Noir, you know, so if I was going to do it, I was going to give it a unique twist.”

“Well, good choices!” Juleka smiled.

“Thank you,” Marinette echoed as they entered the Hotel. They were ushered to the elevators and taken to the top floor ballroom. Marinette bristled. This place had too much Chloe in it for her comfort, even though Chloe _had_ been out of school for the last four days, apparently gone with her mother to New York. But as soon as she entered the ballroom, she relaxed. Alya nearly tackled her and started fawning over her costume. Nino waved from his DJ booth in the corner, and the whole room shifted in energy. Suddenly, everyone was talking excitedly, people were racing over to say hello, and Marinette was almost overwhelmed with the feel of the party.

“Hey, Marinette, great costume!” Nathaniel cheered.

“Marinette, nice to see you!” Max grinned while adjusting his glasses.

“Thanks—”

“Marinette, you should try some of this chocolate bark, it’s amazing!” Alix said in a muffled voice around her mouthful of snacks.

“Uh, sure—” Alix started dragging her by the hand to the snack table near the back of the room. There was a kerfuffle on the other side of the room, but she didn’t have the chance to turn to see what it was. 

“Yeah!” Alya said loudly, positioning herself on Marinette’s other side, “Seriously! Try the snacks!”

“Um,” Marinette protested politely, “I ate before I left, and I just barely got here—” But Alix was shoving a plate of assorted goodies in her hands.

“Wow, it’s crowded in here,” Alya added, fanning herself dramatically. Why don’t you open up the balcony for us? It’s such a pleasant evening, we should use it!”

“Uh—” Marinette tried again but found herself being pushed toward the double glass doors. She braced for impact, when the doors opened under a wall of humanity, and she was pushed outside by an unseen pair of hands. “I’m really fine!” she added fruitlessly, then turned around just in time to see the doors close and all her friends turn their backs. “Hey!” she scoffed, then tried the door handle. It wouldn’t budge. “Um, guys, I think you accidentally locked the door!”

“Marinette?”

Marinette spun on her heel and squinted in the dim light. Oh no. She gulped. The balcony was completely empty, except for a tall, muscular figure with spiked blonde hair and dangerously beautiful green eyes. He was dressed as a Musketeer of the Guard, and the blue uniform fit him perfectly and accentuated his perfect features. 

“A-Adrien?” she squeaked.

“I—” he swallowed, “I really like your costume.”

“Uh,” she fumbled with the door handle again, feeling hot under her collar, “Yeah, I locked it myself. I mean I made it locked! I mean, the door is locked!”

His smile drooped slightly, “That’s strange, Kim said he’d be right out. He wanted to show me something.”

Marinette looked through the glass doors and everyone seemed engrossed in something on the other side of the room. She knocked hopelessly. “Alya! Juleka! Anyone!” There was no response. Marinette sheepishly turned around, the blood pooling in her face. “Yep, we’re locked out,” she muttered.

“Oh,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck and worrying his lower lip. “I… I wonder if there’s another door somewhere?” But it was obvious there wasn’t. Marinette shook her head, and Adrien took a couple steps back to lean against the balcony railing. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I’m sure you’d rather be doing just about anything than being locked on a balcony with me, alone.”

She spluttered. No. This was the only thing in the world she’d like to be doing. She’d dreamed of a moment like this for years, but never been able to stage it. But now that it was here, now that it was happening, she just wanted to shrink to the size of a ladybug and disappear. “Yeah,” she sighed, “I mean no! I mean you’re perfect! No, wait, I mean—”

He laughed sadly, “It’s ok, Marinette, I know I’m not your favorite person in the world.”

Oh, but he was! “It’s not like that!” she yelped. “I just can’t say what I mean!”

He blinked in surprise. Marinette was proud of herself for coming up with a halfway decent response. “You can’t say what you mean?” he repeated.

“Around you. No. It’s always a jumbled mess. I’m sorry.” She took a breath and looked at her costume’s fake miraculous ring. 

He laughed, “You mean you don’t hate me?”

She met his piercing gaze briefly, but could feel herself melting again, so she looked away, “Definitely not,” she managed, and suddenly felt freer than she had in months. “I think you’re amazing,” she whispered, barely audible. She was about to backpedal, to say she didn’t mean that at all, but for some reason—perhaps because of the Chat Noir costume, perhaps of the dim light, she let the sentence ring in the cool night air.

“Um, wow, I… I always thought… I think you’re amazing too, Marinette.” This time she was able to meet his smiling eyes and return a weak smile of her own. “I’m glad you’re one of my friends.”

She nodded, “Me too.” Wow. That was so much easier than she’d ever dreamed of. 

“So,” he raised an eyebrow playfully, “tell me about your costume. You made it yourself?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, feeling the blush creeping across her cheeks again, but determined to keep her cool. _Pretend you’re talking to Nino. He’s a friend, just like Nino. You just said he was a friend. It’s ok to have a friend._

“The mask is stunning,” he added, walking toward her to get a closer look. 

“I got the lace from Nice when I visited with my parents last summer,” she said. Yeah. She could talk shop all day, no problem. 

“And what gave you the idea for the skirt? It’s such a unique twist,” he added appreciatively. 

“Oh, I just thought—” A boom in the room beside them brought them both up short. “What was that?” Marinette gasped. Adrien’s arm was suddenly around her protectively and he peered through the glass doors.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good. You should get down.” A second boom rattled the door again, and Marinette could see a light golden glow from the distant ballroom entrance. 

“Shoot,” she muttered, “Looks like an akuma.”

They both looked at each other expectantly, but neither moved. Their friends were racing for different exits. Marinette tried the door one more time to no avail. 

“We’ve really got to hide you,” Adrien smiled while twitching his toes nervously. 

“Hide _me_?” Marinette scoffed, “ _You’re_ the celebrity around here!”

He shook his head and blushed, “Dang, I wish they would’ve unlocked the door before abandoning the ballroom."

She shrugged, “No use worrying about that now.” The boom shifted further in the building. It was clear that nobody was going to unlock the door for them, and the akuma was chasing down party goers deep inside and well out of reach. Marinette looked around the open-air balcony. There were a pair of chairs and a small coffee table—certainly nowhere to hide and transform, especially not with Adrien standing right there. Suddenly, Marinette was all business. She needed to transform and fight the akuma. Flirting with Adrien could wait. “Well, it’s not safe up here, that’s for sure,” she noted. She checked the outer wall, but they were on the top floor, so there was no way up to a potential rooftop exit. “I guess we’re going to have to go down.”

“What?” Adrien gasped. Marinette made her way to the balcony ledge. “Wait, Marinette, stop! It’s not safe!”

She peered over the railing. There was a ledge maybe thirty centimeters wide a couple meters down. She followed the ledge with her eyes—there was a drainpipe at the end of it and then a fire escape two stories down after that. It was going to be dangerous, but what other choice did she have? She took one more look at Adrien and gave a confident smile, “You stay up here and wait for help. I’m sure someone will be coming shortly.” Without further ado, she hoisted herself over the railing and stretched down to the ledge.

“Are you kidding me?” he growled, racing to her and climbing over the railing as well. “There’s no way I’m letting you climb down there alone.”

She flushed at his heroism, “That’s really not necessary,” she said, trying not to look at the six-story drop below her. She hugged the wall and shimmied along the ledge to the drainpipe, then tested her weight on it. “Good,” she muttered, “seems sturdy enough.” Then she wrapped her hands around the pipe, locked her fingers around it, and quasi-repelled down. 

“Marinette!” Adrien’s voice called from above, “I can’t see you; it’s too dark!”

“It’s ok, I made it to the fire escape!” she called back.

“Alright, I’m coming!” he replied. The drainpipe groaned as he worked his way down. At the last moment, he let go and landed on all fours, then stood slowly. “Are you alright?” he said, examining her.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she smiled. They threw the ladder of the fire escape down and started climbing—Adrien first this time. He leapt to the ground just as Marinette’s fingers slipped on the third to last rung. She would’ve been ok, but Adrien’s arms were around her waist before she had a chance to recover. 

“Oh!” she gasped as he cradled her next to his chest. Their faces were so, so close. 

“Uh, I thought you were going to fall—” he muttered.

“I’m alright,” she smiled. He tenderly set her down. Had he _always_ been this chivalrous? 

“Marinette,” he said, still not letting go of her all the way, “That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do.”

She blushed lightly, “It’s not a big deal. I mean, you do brave things every day.” The akuma crashed inside. Crap! The akuma! She’d nearly forgotten, she was so caught up in the summer green eyes mere centimeters from hers. “Now, get to safety!” she ordered.

He shook his head, “No, we need to find a place for you to hide until Ladybug and Chat Noir deal with the akuma.”

She was beginning to get impatient. “How about I go up the alley here and find a safe place. If I do that, will you promise to find shelter?”

He grinned one of those wide model smiles that made her knees go weak, “That’s fine. Just… promise me?”

“You’ve got to promise me too.”

They both nodded at each other in sync and bolted in opposite directions. Marinette found a dumpster, ducked behind it, and called a jumpy Tikki into her earrings. 

* * *

When Adrien arrived at the party, about ten minutes early, Nino had seemed unusually jumpy. “Oh, hey bro,” he said, looking straight past him and at the door.

“Hey,” Adrien replied. The room was full of people already, which was odd, considering the party hadn’t officially started yet. “Were you waiting for someone else?’

“Me? Uh, no,” Nino’s voice cracked, “Why would I be waiting for someone else? Are you?”

Adrien shook his head. “Nuh-uh.”

“Not Kagami or anything?”

Adrien smiled sadly and shook his head, “Nino, you know Kagami and I are just friends. And you also know you specifically asked me to come alone.”

“Oh,” he chuckled nervously, “I just didn’t want you to feel weird with so many c-couples. Like, me and Alya, Mylene and Ivan, Juleka and Rose…”

Adrien scratched his head in confusion, “Why would I feel weird around couples? We hang out all the time… when I’ve got the time, that is. You would not believe what I had to go through just to come tonight--” But Nino wasn’t paying attention. His phone buzzed and he checked it, then looked up at Adrien with a wide grin. “Dude,” Adrien asked, “are you ok?”

“Just fine. Or, at least, will be.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The main ballroom entrance opened and Adrien looked up. Three girls had just entered the room. Alya was tearing toward the one in black, though he couldn’t quite tell who it was from this distance. He started towards them to say hello. Just then, Kim and Ivan walked up to the DJ booth. “Hey, Adrien!” they chorused.

“Hi,” he responded simply.

“Oh, shoot,” Kim barked dramatically, “I was going to show you something on my phone, Adrien, but the battery is dying. Can I see yours?”

“Um, if it helps,” Adrien said warily, and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Here,” he smiled. Kim took the sleek device hungrily.

“Hey, did you guys see this?” Ivan pointed toward the door. 

“C’mon, man!” Nino piped up, and before he knew it, Adrien was being ushered, no, almost carried, out to the balcony. He became vaguely aware of a rush of feminine voices from the other side of the room but wasn’t in a position to see who they were. Ivan and Nino pushed him out into the open balcony.

“I’ll be right there!” Kim crowed before the doors shut. 

“Ok then,” Adrien replied to the closed door, with a little frown on his face. _That_ was weird. It was a pleasant evening, he noted, and walked to the railing to look over the city of lights. Less than a minute later, the door slipped open again and the girl in black was pushed outside again. What in the world was going on?

She immediately turned and started pounding on the door, so she didn’t see the way Adrien’s jaw dropped. She was dressed in the most exquisite Chat Noir costume he’d ever seen. She’d done her hair in a single French braid and two delicate lace ears perched on top of her hair. She wore a black leather dress, sleeveless and with corset lacing down the back, flaring around her hips in a sassy skirt, and then black tights and long black gloves that came to her mid-arm. A leather tail hung from her waist, and then she had knee-high boots with lime green paw prints on the back of the calves. It was edgy and enticing and Adrien really needed to snap out of it! He was standing there, ogling this girl in a rather ungentlemanly way, when she was clearly in distress. Then, as if out of a fog, her voice hit his ears. He recognized that voice.

“Marinette?” he asked tentatively.

She turned slowly to face him. Dang, the front of the costume was even more incredible than the back. The mask alone was stunning, and the little gold bell that hung from her throat—

“A-Adrien?” she responded, sounding terrified. He shook the cobwebs from his brain. Of course she should be terrified, he was staring at her like she was something to eat! 

“I—” he paused to clear his mouth of the excess saliva he found himself producing and tried to think of something worth saying, “I really like your costume.”

“Uh,” she responded nervously, “Yeah, I locked it myself. I mean I made it locked! I mean, the door is locked!”

Weird. “That’s strange, Kim said he’d be right out. He wanted to show me something.”

Marinette tried the door again before confirming it was locked. Adrien looked around for another exit, but without much effort. He wouldn’t mind waiting out here with Marinette until their friends realized the door was locked. But she seemed restless. In fact, she didn’t seem too pleased about being up here with him at all. He leaned against the balcony railing to give her some space. “Sorry,” he said disarmingly, “I’m sure you’d rather be doing just about anything than being locked on a balcony with me, alone.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. Adrien’s heart sank. He never had quite figured out what he’d done to hurt Marinette’s feelings, but he was always so confused when he talked to her. She clearly didn’t like him, but insisted she did? He liked being around her, but sometimes, he wondered if she enjoyed his friendship at all. Then she flapped her hands excitedly and added, “I mean no! I mean you’re perfect! No, wait, I mean—”

He laughed to prevent himself from frowning, “It’s ok, Marinette, I know I’m not your favorite person in the world.”

“It’s not like that!” she yelped. “I just can’t say what I mean!”

Wait, what? She looked so eager, so hopeful, that he wanted to make sure he understood her feelings perfectly. “You can’t say what you mean?”

“Around you. No. It’s always a jumbled mess. I’m sorry.” She looked at her hands. 

Adrien was confused again, but hopeful for the first time in a long time. He laughed, “You mean you don’t hate me?”

She glanced up at him from under her luscious lashes and black lace mask. Her bright blue eyes were dancing in the moonlight. He gulped. Wow, had she always had that much fire in her gaze? He wished she’d look at him more. But her eyes dropped to her hands again and she whispered, “Definitely not. I think you’re amazing.”

Amazing. She’d actually said amazing. And she didn’t take it back like she often did. She just smiled and called him amazing. Adrien’s chest swelled with happiness. He didn’t know how to respond, so he walked toward her and stammered, “Um, wow, I… I always thought… I think you’re amazing too, Marinette.” She looked up at him again and this time didn’t look away. Wow, yes, her eyes were something else. “I’m glad you’re one of my friends.” _And maybe more?_ Whoa, wait, where did _that_ traitorous internal voice come from? _Watch it, Agreste!_

She nodded, “Me too.” 

He fought the sudden and strange urge to take her hand—or more. He hadn’t had the urge to kiss a girl since meeting Ladybug. He’d kissed Kagami a few times, but she’d always been the initiator. When the two of them decided they were better off remaining friends, he hadn’t even felt that broken up. So where was this sudden desire to taste Marinette’s lips coming from? He had to change the subject, and fast. He looked down at her, trying to find something to talk about that would distract him from his traitorous thoughts. The only thing he could come up with was the incredible Chat Noir costume she wore. He asked questions and she answered excitedly, apparently eager to talk about something else too. The tension eased between them and Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, he could talk to Marinette without a problem. She seemed in her element when talking about fashion, or their friends, or basically anything besides him, so that’s what he’d do. Someone was bound to find them soon anyway—they never had more than a few seconds alone together, it seemed—when their conversation was interrupted by a loud noise in the ballroom. He looked through the glass doors and could just make out the top of a green and pink head. The cloud of gas around it was unmistakable—Princess Fragrance. Shoot.

Adrien was overcome by a fierce urge to protect Marinette. “What was that?” Marinette asked, unable to see above the crowd like Adrien could.

“I don’t know, but it doesn’t sound good. You should get down.” He started scanning the balcony for anything that might help him keep Marinette safe while transforming. But Marinette was proving difficult to keep safe. Every time he suggested something in her best interest, she stubbornly retorted that _he_ was the one that needed protection. The fire in her eyes was mesmerizing. But he needed to focus! He really wanted to cataclysm the door and chase down Princess Fragrance, but… wait, what was Marinette doing now? Climbing over the balcony railing? He chased after her, ready to pull her back, but she was already confidently testing her weight on a downspout that led to a fire escape. Her sudden bravery and determination were doing strange things to Adrien’s heart. Had she always been this fearless? Yes, he reminded himself—Marinette could be a force to be reckoned with. He’d seen this kind of tenacity several times, but watching her shimmy down the drainpipe made him dizzy—and not because of the six-story drop beneath them. She landed deftly and looked up at him. He was staring, completely hypnotized by her strength. Oh. He was staring! Woops. Maybe he could brush it off by claiming he couldn’t see where she’d gone to? Yes, that was smart. He made a show of testing the drainpipe before following her example and working his way down. He wasn’t going to let her put herself in danger again, not if he could help it, so he led the way down the fire escape ladder to the alley below. At the very end, she slipped, and he didn’t think, he just pulled her off the ladder and held her tight to his chest. She was incredibly warm, he realized. And soft. And she smelled amazingly good. Her lace mask was even more beautiful up close. Wow. Adrien still had a soft spot for his Lady, but Marinette was… wow. He knew he was flirting with danger. But he kinda liked it. She said something, he responded automatically and put her down, but his heart was still racing. He’d been friends with Marinette for over a year now, what was _wrong_ with him? Maybe it was because she was wearing that intoxicating Chat Noir costume. But something deeper told him no, that it was more than that. 

Akuma! Dang. He raced off and called on his transformation, his mind still elsewhere. It was a good thing that Princess Fragrance wasn’t sporting new upgrades, because all he could think about was his adorable classmate hiding behind a dumpster somewhere, and what she would do if the real Chat Noir came to her rescue. 

* * *

Alya was bouncing on her toes, nervous with anticipation. The stage had been perfectly set, now all she needed to do was wait for Adrien and Marinette to arrive. “Now, make sure you don’t let them see each other until they’re safely locked on the balcony,” she reminded Nino. He was pacing by his DJ station. Alix, Nathaniel, Marc, Kim, Max, Ivan, and Mylene were all in place, but looked stiff as boards. “No no, this won’t do!” Alya groaned, “This is supposed to be a party! Everyone… I dunno, dance or walk around and talk to each other or something! You look like you’re under orders!”

“We _are_ under orders,” Nathaniel pointed out.

Alya was going to reprimand them, when the door pushed open and Adrien, dressed in Musketeer regalia, walked through the door. “Crap,” she muttered under her breath. “He’s early!”

Nino leapt into action. Alya fired off a quick text to Rose and Juleka to figure out when Marinette would be arriving. The longer Adrien was here without Marinette, the more the chances of any of this working plummeted. Juleka responded to the whole group almost immediately— “Almost there.” Alya’s heart leapt to her throat. It was working. The plan was working! She checked on Nino one more time and nodded satisfactorily. 

It wasn’t but a minute later that the door opened, and a confused Marinette came in. Alya raced over to greet her and make sure she was safely locked on the balcony with Adrien. It went so quickly and smoothly that, as soon as the doors shut and the deadbolt was thrown, Alya laughed. “Why were we so worried about that?” Nino grinned.

“I know, that was… that was _easy!”_

“It’s still not going to work,” Alix winked.

“The odds of them kissing before the end of the evening just rose by seventy-two percent,” Max declared.

“Oh, everybody pretend like you can’t hear them,” Alya warned as Marinette rapped on the door. Nino jacked up the music and everyone started mulling around, acting nonchalant. 

Alya went to the snack table, but before she could do anything more than survey her options, the entrance door flew open.

“You all are _ridiculous,_ utterly _ridiculous!_ ” a shrill voice screeched over the thumping bass.

“Oh no,” Alya moaned. She raced forward. 

“How _dare_ you have a party, in _my_ hotel! This was probably your idea,” Chloe was spitting at Rose, who just happened to be closest to the door at the time of her arrival. “It’s just the kind of stupid, syrupy thing you would do. It’s a good thing I was able to get an earlier flight out of New York, otherwise you would’ve had all night to make total fools out of yourselves!” Rose’s lower lip was starting to tremble. “Oh, is the sweet wittol pwincess going to cwwyy?”

Chloe charged, and Rose was tossed on to her bottom with a sickening thud. Chloe headed straight for the snack table and upended it. Several people yelped in horror. “You are all going to _pay_ for this!” 

“Chloe stop!” Alya growled, but to no avail.

“Wait,” Chloe said, slowly turning toward the glass double doors that led to the balcony, “Is that… _Dupain-Cheng?_ And my _Adrikins?”_ What are you all doi—”

“Don’t!”

“Stop!”

“You can’t!”

“Leave them alone!”

Chloe was racing for the balcony door, when a high-pitched cackle pierced the confusion. “Chloe Bourgeois, you will do as _I_ say!” A pink fog enveloped half the room, and then Chloe turned and looked at the green and pink clad supervillain. 

“At your service, Princess Fragrance!” she chorused, along with several others caught in the blast. 

“You’ll _all_ do as I say!” Princess Fragrance ordered, leveling her weapon at them. 

Alya locked eyes with Nino, who hadn’t been gassed yet, and screamed, “RUN!”

The next few minutes were a blur of escaping, of people turning into mindless servants of Princess Fragrance, of back entrances and staircases and a stitch in her side that made Alya wince. Alya wormed her way through the kitchen and out the back entrance to the alley behind the hotel and was looking for a place to hide, when she heard a feminine voice cry, “Tikki, spots on!” From behind the dumpster up the alley, there was a flash of pink light. 

Alya’s jaw hit the floor. Ladybug was here! Right here, transforming in this very alley! She scrambled to grab her phone, but just then, Ladybug jumped over the dumpster and locked eyes on her. 

“Al-Ladyblogger? What are you doing here? Did you see anything” Ladybug hissed.

“No, of course not. I, uh, just escaped from the a-akuma… do you live close by? Is that why you were transforming in the alley?”

Ladybug looked up at the building looming over them, and up and down the alley nervously, then turned back to Alya, “No, I just arrived. But never mind that. What can you tell me about the akuma?”

“It’s Princess Fragrance,” Alya confirmed, “but nothing much seems different.”

Ladybug nodded and made to take off. “Alya,” she warned briefly, “don’t mention this to anyone, please. We wouldn’t want Hawkmoth to find out that I transformed in this alley. _Anything_ that could point him in the direction of my identity would be terrible for all of us.”

Alya nodded, managed to grab an awesome action shot of Ladybug zipping over her head, and then ran out to the street to find Nino and the others. 

Chat Noir arrived not long after, and Alya cherished every glimpse she caught of the two in action. Having sported a miraculous several times herself, she knew the energy that flowed through their veins. She knew the power in the limbs and the exhilarating super strength. But that wasn’t the only thing that Alya was watching for. Deep down, she was hoping that Ladybug would give some clue as to how she felt about Chat Noir. After all, hooking up Marinette and Adrien wasn’t the only couple she was rooting for. She kept her phone out and got a couple more great moments on film, especially after Princess Fragrance broke out through a window and Ladybug and Chat Noir chased her up and down the edge of the building. 

Alya moved in to get a closer shot and was rewarded with Chat Noir doing some impressive martial arts to combat some of Princess Fragrance’s flunkies. Her heart soared when Ladybug called Chat Noir “Kitten,” and she did a little dance when Chat Noir snagged Ladybug out of thin air and cradled her carefully against his chest. Alya was so caught up in watching the battle that she didn’t notice how long it had been going until Ladybug called for her lucky charm. Moments later, Alya heard Chat Noir cry “Cataclysm!” A chunk of the wall above her disintegrated, Princess Fragrance flew out the new hole in the wall, and Ladybug caught her with her yo-yo. The black akuma magic bubbled off Rose’s skin before she was softly placed on the footpath. Alya and Nino raced to their friend as Ladybug and Chat Noir descended from above. Once everyone was on their feet, Ladybug snagged the butterfly still trying to escape, then tossed her toy carrot into the sky and cried, “Miraculous Ladybug!”

Alya smiled in wonder as the building and the street were swarmed with sparkling Ladybugs. No matter how many times she’d seen it, the Miraculous cure was still something else. 

“Pound it!” Ladybug and Chat Noir cried in tandem, a second after she’d used her miraculous ladybug cure. The group of friends around them was chattering excitedly, and the two heroes exchanged a knowing look. 

Rose was wailing in despair, “I’m so sorry I got akumatized and ruined the party!”

“It’s fine,” Juleka was patting her girlfriend’s back, “Nobody thought Chloe was in town.”

“Yeah,” Nino said, “Leave it to Chloe to ruin our party and akumatize the sweetest girl in the school in one fell swoop.”

Max piped up, “There was only a fourteen percent chance that she would return in time for the party at all!”

“Well, is everyone alright?” Ladybug asked.

“I think so,” Alya said, counting heads. “Wait,” she hesitated, her stomach plummeting, “oh no!”

“What is it?” Chat Noir asked.

“We forgot Marinette and Adrien!”

The whole group blanched. “What?” Ladybug’s eyebrows furrowed. “I mean, who are you talking about?”

Alya bowed her head ashamedly. She _should_ be ashamed. “Our friends. We… we kinda… it was supposed to be harmless… we locked them… they’re on the balcony. Did anyone think to unlock the doors when the akuma hit?”

There was a general murmur of dissent. Ladybug’s earrings chirped once. “Oh shoot,” she cried, “I’ve gotta go! Take good care of your friends!”

Chat Noir yelped something similar and vaulted off in the other direction. Alya muscled her way into the hotel, the guilt settling in her stomach like a rock.

* * *

Under his mask, Adrien was panicking. His friends were all headed up to the ballroom of the Hotel again, and they expected to find Adrien and Marinette locked together on the balcony. He wasn’t able to think straight. All he knew was that he needed to get to the last place anyone saw Adrien before he’d transformed, and he had less than thirty seconds to get there. He launched himself over the Hotel roof and landed on the balcony and tested the door—it was still locked. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Chat Noir?” He turned around and gasped when he saw Ladybug standing on the same balcony, staring at him with shock.

“Uh, Ladybug? What are you doing up here?”

Their miraculouses were wailing, bluebell eyes were locked with summer green, and both jaws dropped unceremoniously as understanding dawned. “Wait,” she managed, “if you’re up here—”

“And _you’re_ up here—” Chat whispered. “—M-M-Marinette?”

“A-A-Adrien?”

Adrien’s ears were ringing as he stared at the amazing girl in front of him. It was impossible. Wasn’t it? It couldn’t possibly be her. She wasn’t moving either—frozen in shock. 

“Y-You?” she stammered.

He couldn’t get his mouth to close. All he could do was stand there, completely dumbfounded. Neither of them were aware of anything else besides the shimmering light around them, and then the incredible, beautiful, beloved person standing across the balcony from them, wearing the exact same look of surprised delight on their faces.

* * *

Alya felt like the worst friend ever. Her plan—her perfect, beautiful plan—had backfired horribly. All they were going to do was lock Marinette and Adrien on the balcony for twenty-seven minutes or so, just enough time for them to actually communicate with each other. Not get discovered by Chloe, booted from the ballroom, and upset Rose so badly that she got akumatized. Not forget Marinette and Adrien altogether as they raced for cover. Not abandoning her best friend during a dangerous battle! 

First, they got stopped by security. Chloe was _still_ protesting the party, even when Alya promised all they wanted to do was clean up the ballroom and then go home. Eventually, they were given permission to go back for their friends. Then, the elevators were painfully slow. Nino tried to take Alya’s hand, but she jerked it back. “Don’t you get it?” she snapped, “We left them up there on their own! Locked outside! During an akuma battle!”

“I’m sure they’re fine,” Nino said evenly. “The Ladybug magic heals everything at the end, so even if the door blew up or they got hit or something—”

“B-blew up? Nino, you’re _not_ helping.” Nino knew when to quit. This was one of those times. After what felt like ages, and far too many stops on other floors to pick up guests, the elevator finally deposited them on the top floor. Alya raced down the hall. Juleka and Rose must have taken the stairs, because they were already in the ballroom entrance. 

Alya was so concerned about Marinette and Adrien that she didn’t realize Juleka and Rose weren’t moving and plowed headlong into them. The three girls flew into the room in a tangle of limbs and hair. Alya’s glasses soared off her face and skidded across the ballroom floor. “Dang it!” she growled, dropping to her hands and knees. “A little help down here?” she pleaded. 

“Shh!” Rose warned. 

“Shh? What are you shushing me for? Help me find my glasses!”

“Don’t move a muscle!” Rose commanded, and Alya froze. Turning slowly toward the door, she saw a blurry outline. Alya felt around the ground and miraculously grabbed the familiar wire frame of her glasses and pushed them up the bridge of her nose. She gasped. It was… it was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.

Adrien and Marinette were on the balcony, illuminated softly from the glow of the fairy lights strung around the railing, wrapped in each other’s arms, engulfed in a passionate kiss. 

Slowly, Alya stood to get a better look. 

“Wh-wh-what?” Nino croaked from the doorway behind them.

“Sweet!” Kim piped up. Apparently, the rest of the class had made it back to the ballroom. “Alix, pay up!”

She pumped her fist in the air and gladly slipped a twenty into Kim’s outstretched palm.

“It’s the sweetest thing!” Rose cooed.

“They look so happy,” Mylene added. 

“I can’t believe it worked,” Nino breathed. “Finally!”

But Alya was the only one in the room who truly knew what to say. A devilish grin crept across her face as she held out her fist to the group around her. “Everyone in, on three. One, two… Pound it!”

 _Now_ , Alya thought with a smirk, _time to get Ladybug and Chat Noir alone for twenty-seven minutes…_


End file.
